Hit Squad Games That Weren't

[roberthazelby]

I thought the Hit Squad range was a fantastic idea by the bods at Ocean - a nice cheap way to get hold of previously deleted titles, and numbered spines encouraging you to ensure the `gaps` were plugged as you hunted down the titles.

I've always wondered why the early Ocean titles such as Kong, Mr Wimpy, Eskimo Eddie and Armageddon were never released on the label. Did management decide they were too poor to release, or was it more a case of realising that if they released these titles the copyright holders of the games they were ripped from (Donkey Kong, Burgertime, Pengo, Missile Command) would come down on Ocean like a tonne of bricks?

I'd seriously be interested to know.

Gary, is this one for you to step up and answer?

Rob

[Gary]

Hmmm.
I would imagine the latter.
By the time 'Hit Squad' was released, Ocean was licensing brands and content. The very early stuff you mention was some of the first output from Ocean (after it had changed it's name from 'Spectrum Games' - remember that?).

The success the company was then enjoying might have been compromised by unwelcome attention from copyright holders of the games that were 'similar'.

'Nuff said.